


Getting to know you ...

by RedStarFiction



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-30 05:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8520442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStarFiction/pseuds/RedStarFiction
Summary: From Tumblr: Hi, Red Star! I was wondering if you can write something about how Jemmy and Mandy interact with William after they found out he’s their uncle. I know you’re busy so only when you get a moment. Thanks!Hi @vaneaustation I am so sorry I have taken so long to fill your prompt. I have had a small look at Mandy and William in a previous fic: In For A Penny on A03 but here is a special Jem/William oriented fanfic for you. Timeline wise this is post-MOBY :) Thank you for your great prompt and I hope you enjoy :) Han xx





	

Jem approached William a little cautiously, holding the ball before him like a tribute. He wasn’t really sure how to behave around the man who was apparently his Mam’s brother and Grandda’s son but not actually related to Grannie. His Da said that families were complicated affairs and Jem already knew that to be true but he’d never had an actual proper uncle before and didn’t really know what you were supposed to do with one.

William was sat on a blanket on the grass just beyond the apple tree, in a pair of Jamie’s breeks and one of Roger’s homespun shirts, his eyes closed and face turned upwards to the warmth of the sun. He had been sat like that for quite a while and Jem had hovered a respectful distance away kicking the ball against the side of the house until his Grandda had threatened to take it away if he didn’t stop.

Jem had considered just going back inside but it was rare for William to be by himself and not working and rarer still for Jem not to be saddled with Mandy who took up all of any adults attention the moment she got near them. Plus he felt more confident now that William was dressed like one of them and not in his uniform with the polished buttons and high-black boots which reminded Jem of villains in movies he had seen.

“Do ye want to play kick-about wi’ me?”

He called and offered a shy smile when his uncle jerked and opened his eyes.

“Sorry, I didna mean to scare ye.”

“Not at all! I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings.”

William smiled and Jem relaxed a little bit. He looked less like Grandda when he smiled and more like … well … himself, Jem supposed or maybe he just had his mother’s smile, whoever she was.

“Were ye day-dreaming?”

“I was.”

William nodded and gestured to Jem’s ball, standing and clasping his hands behind his back.

“How do you play kick-about then?”

“Ah …”

Jem had never met someone who didn’t know what kick-about was before, even Grandda had understood exactly what he meant – though maybe to be fair he had just seen Jem play with his Da.

“You just sort of kick the ball about.”

He pursed his lips and then beamed at William

“We could have an actual goal! Do ye ken how to score a goal?”

“The ball has to go between two sticks?”

William nodded sagely, as if the business of goal scoring was an incredibly serious business, which in a way it was.

“Aye. That’s right!”

Jem hurried towards the house and William carefully folded the blanket he had borrowed, draping it over one of the lower hanging branches of the apple tree. He had not had much to do with children since ceasing to be classed as one himself and felt absurdly nervous about playing ball with Jem. The boy was pleasant enough and William was fond of him but he would have felt more comfortable if Roger was there to supervise.

“Ready!”

Jem called, proudly standing between two sticks.

“Do ye want to be the goalie or striker first?”

“Uh …”

William ran a hand through his hair and Jem rolled the ball towards him generously

“You be striker, it’s more fun, but I’m allowed to come out of goal and try to tackle you OK?”

“Er … yes. That sounds fine.”

William tested the ball for weight and finding it slightly heavier than he expected, nudged it gently towards Jem with his toe.

“Ye willna score like that Uncle William!”

Jem laughed, easily claiming the ball and kicking it back to him. William was still not used to being addressed as ‘uncle’ but the term did give him a flutter of happiness in his chest, a sort of sense of being part of something larger than just himself and included in a social network that he could not quite think of as family, not yet, but a support and a joy all the same.

“I don’t want to hurt you if I kick it too hard.”

“I’m no’ a baby!”

Jem rolled his eyes, exasperated and William grinned.

“Alright but you’ll have to say if I play too rough.”

Jem arched one red eyebrow at his uncle and the game commenced in earnest. What William lacked in skill he made up for in speed and strength and Jem found himself evenly matched for the first time since being back on the ridge. They raced up and down, pausing to discard their shirts as it got too hot and William also discarded the boots Jamie had lent him as they were too big and hampered his footwork.

Within ten minutes the goal was largely forgotten and it seemed to be more a game of who could keep the ball longest. William learnt quickly that kicking the ball away and sprinting after it was a good way to keep possession as his long legs easily outpaced his nephew, but Jem was no fool and after a couple of fruitless chases he began blocking the kicks with his legs, hips and even hands (seeing as how his uncle did not know about hand-ball and Jem was currently disinclined to tell him). They bantered up and down their make-shift pitch, at first shyly and then more and more boldly. William knew some of the best and most creative curses Jem had ever heard and when Jem slipped on wet grass and let out a cuss word of his own, his uncle didn’t so much as blink at it, only laughed and passed the ball good naturedly back to him. Jem had never known such utter freedom with an adult, not even uncle Ian who let him get away with most anything.

 

It was after a scuffle for possession that William got his foot beneath the ball and flicked it up, intending to get it away but Jem stuck a leg out, deflecting it with a hard kick.

They both watched it soar through the air, tracing it’s trajectory with identical blue eyes as it sailed toward the house and the newly installed glass windows.

It struck one of the panes with a thump that Jem would never in his life forget, leaving a muddy splotch across the otherwise sparkling glass but mercifully did not shatter it.

“JEREMIAH!”

Jamie’s outraged yell reached their ears and Jem gulped and instinctively stepped behind his uncle. William felt his lip quirk up in a half-smile. He knew that the act was no more conscious than flinching at a loud bang but all the same a gently protective urge that he had not known he could feel swept through him and he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

Jamie stepped out into the sunlight ready to reprimand his grandson but he stopped at the sight of William and Jem stood guiltily together, both bare-chested and streaked with sweat and dirt.

“It was my fault, I kicked the ball too hard and it just hit Jem and bounced off.”

William said immediately, meeting Jamie’s gaze with level eyed certainty.

“But …”

Jem began and the fingers on his shoulder gave a gentle squeeze, urging him to silence.

Jamie noticed William’s hand protectively on Jem and the stubborn set of his son’s jaw.

*My lads.*

He thought and warmth spread through his chest so fiercely it caught his breath. He folded his arms and smiled faintly at them both

“Is that so then? Who won the game?”

“I’d say it was more or less an equal match.”

William smiled back, relaxing as his father accepted his explanation without query and let out the anxious breath he had been holding.

“Aye, weel perhaps ye could take the game away a bit. Claire is verra fond o’ the glass, ken?”

“We will do. Once I’ve cleaned up the mess?”

William offered, hoping that Jamie would accept and seal the deal on his blame.

“Alright, although Jem may wish to help ye…”

“Aye Grandda!”

Jem piped up and dashed forward to fetch a bucket of water and cleaning cloth. As he reached Jamie his grandfather, bent at the waist and whispered in his ear

“Drive the ball through his legs when ye can, he’s slower to turn and it gives ye a few seconds advantage and is safer than flinging ye leg out, aye?”

Jem blushed realising that his grandfather had seen the whole thing and nodded sheepishly

“Am I in trouble for lying?”

“Lying? I didna hear ye say a word. Ye uncle spoke up, did he no? Now go on and make sure ye get a worn cloth for the mud not one of ye Grannie’s good ones and dinna make a habit o’ the language I heard coming from the garden today.”

Jamie smiled, sending Jem on his way with a firm pat on the bum.

“You were watching then?”

William grinned ruefully as Jamie reached him

“I was.”

Jamie nodded and William sighed

“I didn’t want him to get into trouble and it really was an accident.”

“Aye, I saw it. Ye both need ye mouths washed out wi’ soap though. I dinna even ken what half the words ye were teaching the lad mean!”

William blushed and made an awkward face

“Sorry, I’m not used to being around children. Will Brianna be very upset? I …”

“Dinna fash, if the laddie has no’ got the sense not to use such words around his mother then he deserves whatever comes his way.”

Jamie laughed. William relaxed slightly but ran one index finger down the bridge of his long nose, a habit he could not remember picking up but it was something he had always done when thinking things over.

“He’s really quite delightful isn’t he? Jeremiah, I mean.”

“He is.”

Jamie agreed with more than a little trace of smugness - he tried not to spoil his grandchildren too much but in his opinion all of them were as near to perfect as people could be - no matter what profanity came out of their mouths.

“I’m glad that … well … I’m glad we know each other for what we are. I am glad that I am here.”

Jamie nodded but made no reply, it was not the sort of statement that really needed one. Instead he put his hand on William’s shoulder, an echo of his son’s earlier action and squeezed.


End file.
